photos or artwork on the walls . It really did resemble a showroom , the kind nice apartment buildings use so potential renters can see what their homes could look like . Now that he thought of it , Grey couldn ’ t remember seeing anything personal in the kitchen or dining room .
Why , though ? he wondered . Old Man obviously lives here . Why wouldn ’ t he take the time to make the place feel lived in ?
Grey pushed the question away and returned to the front door , opposite of which was a flight of stairs that led up to a second floor . He gently placed his foot on the first step , only to freeze as the step creaked loudly . For a moment , neither he , Lita or Knives even dared to breathe , expecting Old Man to come barreling out of nowhere and attack them .
Instead , what came to them was a tiny voice from upstairs . “ Is that you , Daddy ?”
Grey , Lita and Knives turned to each other in confusion . Daddy ? Knives mouthed .
Holding the knife in front of him , he started climbing , Lita and Knives close behind him . At the top of the stairs , they were confronted with two closed doors on either side of a tiny landing .
Carefully , Grey opened the door on his left , knife ready in case he needed to use it . Inside he found a master bedroom dominated by a large bed . Unlike the first floor , this room looked lived in : two bookcases stood in the corners opposite the bed filled with paperbacks , and there was a large dresser overflowing with a man ’ s clothes . Attached to the bedroom was a white-tiled bathroom , an electric toothbrush and a leather shaving kit sitting on the countertop around the sink . Old Man ’ s room , though neither he nor the mysterious speaker were in sight .
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